SABINE WEISS - Interview 2016

Sabine Weiss: Approach to Photography

Sabine Weiss chose photography as her life’s work after gaining several years of experience. Working independently in Paris, she took on a wide range of assignments, including picture stories, publicity, music-related work, portraits, and fashion, while continuing to pursue her own street photography.

Creative Principles

• Look for the unexpected. Weiss said many photographs happen by chance, and she usually did not wait for a scene to unfold. One exception was a moment when she waited in an Indian monastery for a child to arrive and pray.
• Choose the whole frame carefully. She considered how the background supported or distracted from the subject, and preferred pictures that were simple and easy to read.
• Work with trust and sensitivity. She sometimes approached or spoke with people. On assignments, established relationships helped her photograph without disturbing the scene.
• Let moments unfold naturally. Most of her photographs of people were candid rather than posed. With children, she might gently suggest something playful—for example, she recalled an image of children in Spain pretending to be a horse.
• Notice everyday life. Weiss was drawn to people and activity in streets and cities. She often worked in the evening with her husband and preferred cities to landscapes because they offered more people and more opportunities for discovery.
• Adapt to the subject and setting. Her work included a quiet early-morning portrait on an empty Paris street, street scenes in New York, people praying in India, and musicians and orchestras. She also recalled finding Roma camps clean and welcoming, contrary to her expectations.
• Keep emotional range. Although she described herself as optimistic, she also photographed people who were sad, lonely, or desperate. She felt that asking someone to act sad or happy could make an image feel false.

Featured creator/interviewee: Sabine Weiss.